NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Governor Bill Lee recently signed legislation to regulate the hemp industry, which some retailers say will force them out of the state or put them out of business.

The bill, which passed last legislative session, essentially bans smokable hemp flower in Tennessee, the majority of what Ben Whitelaw, owner of The Flower Shop in Chattanooga, sells.

"They’ve banned CBD hemp. That’s what they’ve done. All of it. THCA and CBD hemp. It’s all going to be gone," Whitelaw said.

The bill includes several provisions, including a ban on .3% THCA, which lawmakers argue turns into THC when burned: the same chemical in marijuana that gets the user high.

"We were all told when we voted for hemp that, well, it's the nonintoxicating cousin to marijuana. You don't have to worry a

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